According to his report, the Orioles “have made it known that they are comfortable with in-house options at closer.” NBC Sports‘ Aaron Gleeman suggests the top candidate, then, would be Tommy Hunter, who filled the setup role last season.

As for the team’s prominent needs, Connolly said the team is not in the running for Masahiro Tanaka but Dan Duquette says the club is talking with a number of other starters. Matt Garza, Ervin Santana, Ubaldo Jimenez and Bronson Arroyo remain viable options.

Connolly points to Mike McKenry as a possible backup for Matt Wieters (Baltimore currently has Steve Clevenger, Johnny Monell and Michael Ohlman on the 40-man). John Buck and Miguel Olivo are other possible free agent options.

Like fellow pitcher David Price, Homer Bailey has seen his name come up in trade rumors this offseason because of his climbing salary and upcoming free agency.

The Reds would like to sign the right-hander to a long-term extension before he hits the open market next winter, as MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon writes, but general manager Walt Jocketty acknowledged that Bailey’s asking price will make that difficult.

In other news from around the league on Monday:

Sheldon also examines the remaining group of free-agent center fielders and reports that the Reds have not reached out to Nyjer Morgan, who played in Japan last season.

MLB.com Yankees beat writer Bryan Hoch tackles several fan questions in his latest inbox column, including the club’s options at third base and closer.

Veteran left-hander Johan Santana, who is coming off shoulder surgery, could be headed toward a reunion with the Twins.

Brewers general manager Doug Melvin offered an explanation as to why his team is having one of the more quiet offseasons in the Majors.

The Orioles have interest in free-agent righty Bronson Arroyo, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney.

Olney also reports that free-agent lefty Chris Capuano is willing to be patient as he looks for a two-year contract.

The Mariners are considering making more additions this offseason, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports and MLB Network. But the front office will need to persuade ownership in order to snag the likes of Price, Masahiro Tanaka or Nelson Cruz.

The Indians added depth to their roster, signing veterans Scott Atchison and Jeff Francoeur to Minor League deals that will allow them to compete for spots in the bullpen and on the bench, respectively.

Major League general managers got perhaps their biggest Christmas present a little early, when Nippon Professional Baseball’s Rakuten Golden Eagles reportedly announced late Tuesday night that they will post star pitcher Masahiro Tanaka.

The right-hander, who went 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA in Japan this season, is certain to command serious interest from several teams, who can submit a maximum bid of $20 million in order to earn the right to negotiate with him. ESPN’s Jim Bowden listed the Yankees, Angels, D-Backs, Rangers and Dodgers as some teams to watch as the situation develops.

The Eagles’ decision also could open the floodgates for the starting-pitcher market. With Tanaka in limbo, the likes of Bronson Arroyo, Matt Garza, Ubaldo Jimenez and Ervin Santana remained unsigned.

ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick talked to Arroyo and reported that the Yankees have “touched base” with the durable 36-year-old righty, while the Angels, Orioles and D-backs also could be good fits. Arroyo told Crasnick that his last team, the Reds, has not offered him a one-year deal, and that he hasn’t been close to signing with the Twins, although those clubs still could be options.

In other news from around the league:

The Dodgers announced the signings of free agents Juan Uribe, Chris Perez, J.P. Howell and Jamey Wright, and general manager Ned Colletti said after those moves he is “pretty much done” tweaking his roster for 2014. Colletti also deflected a question about his club’s interest in Tanaka and reiterated his belief that center fielder Matt Kemp, recovering from a broken ankle, will be ready for Opening Day.

The Blue Jays re-signed infielder Munenori Kawasaki to a Minor League contract, with an invitation to Spring Training. A fan favorite in Toronto last season, when he hit .229/.326/.308 in 289 plate appearances, Kawasaki will compete for a bench spot and possibly playing time at second base.

Left-handed reliever Jordan Norberto has agreed to a Minor League deal with the Rays, according to the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser. Norberto posted a 2.77 ERA in 39 appearances for the A’s in 2012 but didn’t pitch in the Majors last season, undergoing Tommy John surgery in June, a month after Oakland released him. Slusser also reports that Norberto still must serve his 50-game suspension that came as a result of the Biogenesis investigation.

There is mutual interest in a reunion between the Phillies and reliever Ryan Madson, CSNPhilly.com’s Jim Salisbury reports. Madson played for Philadelphia from 2003-11 and saved 32 games with a 2.37 ERA in his final season there before having his past two years wiped out by elbow injuries. According to Salisbury, Madson will audition for teams soon after New Years and likely will have to take a Minor League deal.

The Mariners have been one of the most aggressive teams this offseason, signing Robinson Cano to a massive contract, then adding two more power bats at this week’s Winter Meetings, in Corey Hart and Logan Morrison.

But there still could be more moves on the horizon, and one in particular makes a lot of sense, writes our Richard Justice. He believes Seattle should beef up its offense further by adding free-agent Nelson Cruz.

In other news from around the league on Saturday:

The Dodgers have filled the most significant hole in their lineup, agreeing to a two-year deal with free-agent third baseman Juan Uribe.

The Marlins also held some interest in Uribe, so his signing leaves them looking at other options at third base, writes our Joe Frisaro.

The Twins signed their third starting pitcher so far this offseason, agreeing to bring back righty Mike Pelfrey on a two-year deal. Minnesota, still looking to add another arm, is unlikely to sign Matt Garza but is open to Bronson Arroyo, according to a tweet from Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com and MLB Network.

The Mets announced their two-year deal with Bartolo Colon, officially adding the 40-year-old to their starting rotation.

The Braves could be close to signing free-agent right-hander Gavin Floyd, according to a report from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Floyd, coming off Tommy John surgery, is expected to return to action in May.

With free-agent second baseman Omar Infante set to sign with the Royals, the Yankees’ interest in a trade for the Cubs’ Darwin Barney “may pick up,” according to a tweet from Bruce Levine of Chicago’s WSRC-AM and 670thescore.com. The teams held earlier talks about Barney, Levine writes.

His availability, however, could greatly hinge on how the Angels can bolster their rotation via free agency.

Matt Garza is perceivably at the top of their list in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., because he’s 30 years old, isn’t tied to Draft-pick compensation, is from Southern California and has posted a 3.76 ERA while averaging 175 innings over the last six innings. If the Angels can work something out with the Nez Balelo client — who also represents the already-signed Jason Vargas and Phil Hughes — they’re in good shape, with a front four of Jered Weaver-C.J. Wilson-Garza-Garrett Richards.

If they can’t, they may have to get creative.

The free-agent market after Garza could drop considerably. Consider: The Angels haven’t shown a willingness to sign anyone tied to Draft-pick compensation, which eliminates Ubaldo Jimenez and Ervin Santana; they’ve expressed interest in Bronson Arroyo, as the right-hander reiterated to MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon earlier today, but are less willing to overpay for a 36-year-old; they aren’t interested in Bartolo Colon, who’s 40 years old and has a history of PED suspensions; A.J. Burnett has previously had trepidations about pitching in the West coast; and Masahiro Tanaka, who is expected to be posted this week, remains a long shot.

Once you get past those guys, and Garza, you have to move on to the likes of Jason Hammel, Mike Pelfrey, Chris Capuano and Paul Maholm. That’s a big drop.

Howie Kendrick continues to be available, and the Angels could look to part ways with a catcher (Hank Conger or Chris Iannetta) and a reliever (Michael Kohn, Dane De La Rosa, Kevin Jepsen among them). If Garza signs elsewhere, though, Trumbo and potentially shortstop Erick Aybar could join that list.

They could sign two moderately-priced free-agent starters, they could sign one high-priced free-agent starter and leave the fifth spot open for competition, or they could sign one free-agent starter and trade for another. The latter remains the most likely scenario, but with three days left before the Winter Meetings, the Angels are keeping their options open as they try to patch up the two holes remaining in their rotation.

Matt Garza, who’s 30 years old, is from Southern California and isn’t tied to Draft pick compensation, is a target. But they could turn to the next tier down — guys like Jason Hammel, Chris Capuano, Mike Pelfrey and Paul Maholm — if his price tag remains too high. The Angels aren’t particularly interested in Bronson Arroyo or Bartolo Colon at this time, and they still have no plans to sign any of the three starters tied to Draft pick compensation (Ubaldo Jimenez, Ervin Santana or Hiroki Kuroda, who’s almost surely returning to the Yankees).

Howie Kendrick continues to be dangled, with shortstop Erick Aybar and outfielder/first baseman Mark Trumbo still unlikely to be dealt (that, however, can change if the Angels don’t like what’s available to them in the free-agent market). The Angels also have flexibility in their bullpen, allowing them to dangle the likes of Michael Kohn, Kevin Jepsen and Dane De La Rosa. Catchers Chris Iannetta and Hank Conger could also be made available in a package for starting pitching.

The Angels really like Masahiro Tanaka. But with a proposed maximum bid of $20 million, the Japanese star may not be posted by his current team, the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, and if he is, most of if not all teams will throw their hat in the ring (the proposed agreement between Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball allows the posted player to negotiate with any teams that are tied for the highest bid).

There wasn’t a whole lot of Hot Stove chatter on Saturday, though a few interesting nuggets appeared as teams continue to look to build their best rosters.

The Royals appear serious in their pursuit of free-agent outfielder Carlos Beltran, according to Bob Dutton of The Kansas City Star. One Royals official told Dutton of Beltran: “We’d love to have him in. One thing about Carlos Beltran is he’s a money player. He’s an RBI guy. He produces.”

The Mets are scheduled to meet with free-agent right-hander Bronson Arroyo at his home this upcoming week, according to Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com

Free-agent shortstop Rafael Furcal has been contacted by the Red Sox, Marlins, Mets, Nationals, Pirates and Rockies, according to ESPNDeportes.com. Here’s Rubin’s writeup for ESPN New York in English.

SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants will acquire another starting pitcher soon, perhaps very soon. Exactly which one depends on who accepts their terms first.

The club is still talking with the representative for Ryan Vogelsong, trying to hammer out an agreement that could approach, match or even sweeten $6.5 million. That’s the value of the 2014 option the Giants declined, casting Vogelsong into free agency.

But, as Giants general manager Brian Sabean said earlier this week, the club has alternatives. San Francisco’s leading alternative to Vogelsong appears to be right-hander Dan Haren, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Since the Dodgers reportedly also are courting Haren, he has created a nice market for himself.

Additionally, Bronson Arroyo supposedly remains on the Giants’ radar.

The Giants still must find a proven hitter who can play left field or induce a position switch that enables an incumbent performer, such as Brandon Belt, to play left at least part-time. Sabean has indicated that this priority might take some time to fill.

The Giants already have signed free agent Tim Hudson and retained Hunter Pence, Tim Lincecum and Javier Lopez. If the Giants keep obtaining players at the current rate, Sabean and his assistants will be able to take a break at Disney World during next month’s Winter Meetings at Orlando.

The Angels’ hopes of resigning free-agent starting pitcher Jason Vargas were squashed on Thursday, when the Royals announced they have signed the veteran left-hander to a four-year contract.

The average annual value of Vargas’ new deal, a reported $32 million, is $8 million. The Angels were willing to give him that much, but they weren’t willing to go four years (it would’ve been hard for them to even give him a third year).

And so, the Angels still have at least two holes to fill in their rotation.

Jered Weaver, C.J. Wilson and Garrett Richards are returning, Tommy Hanson is likely to get non-tendered in December and Joe Blanton — if not released this offseason — will not go into the season as a guaranteed member of the rotation. General manager Jerry Dipoto did not tender the $14.1 million qualifying offer to Vargas because he was almost certain Vargas would accept it, and by accepting it the Angels would already be dangerously close to the luxury tax threshold of $189 million.

Vargas was acquired in a one-for-one deal with the Mariners that sent Kendrys Morales to Seattle last December. In his first year in Southern California, where he grew up and briefly attended Long Beach State University, Vargas went 9-8 with a 4.02 ERA in 150 innings in a season that saw him miss two months with a blood clot.

The Angels are expected to use the trade market to bolster a rotation that ranked 11th in the American League in ERA last season, but they may also turn to other free agents to fill Vargas’ void. And while they aren’t expected to go after the likes of Ubaldo Jimenez, Ricky Nolasco or Ervin Santana, names like Phil Hughes, Dan Haren, Bronson Arroyo, etc., etc., could be enticing.

Former Reds starter Bronson Arroyo went on MLB Network Radio on Monday and mentioned the Angels among the teams that have expressed interest in the early portion of his free agency.

In addition to the Angels, Arroyo, entering his age-37 season, said the Phillies, Dodgers, Giants, Twins and (maybe) Orioles have reached out to his agent, but no teams have tendered any offers just yet. The Twins and Giants, who just signed Tim Hudson to a two-year, $23 million deal but need more starting pitching, have been in touch more than once, Arroyo said.

Arroyo, who did not get a $14.1 million qualifying offer from the Reds, seeks a three-year deal, though that may be very difficult to come by — even for someone like Arroyo, who has a great health record.

Over the last two years, while pitching mainly at the hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park, Arroyo has put up almost identical seasons, compiling a 3.76 ERA, a 1.18 WHIP and a 3.67 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 404 innings. The veteran right-hander has averaged 207 innings over the last 10 years, doing so with a 4.10 ERA.

The Angels could turn to Arroyo as a fallback option if they can’t resign Jason Vargas, but Arroyo will probably be more expensive — at least with regards to average annual value.

“I feel like I’ve proven myself in the game, I feel like I’ve given any team that I’ve ever played for their money’s worth,” Arroyo told MLB Network Radio. “And so I really would like somebody to come further than two years and give me a three-year deal. I feel like I’ve got plenty left in the tank for that.

“I feel as good now as I did when I was 25, other than a few days in the weight room when your knees hurt a little bit squatting. My repertoire of pitching is without question better than it’s ever been, my mind is better than it’s ever been. That just comes with experience and learning your body and knowing how to get hitters out with what you have. So I don’t feel like I’m going downhill at all.”

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